Stretcher



Inventor .c'ab HLevw-Qw 2 sheets-sheet 1 @M am! J. H. LEvlsoN` `STRETCHER Filed Nov. 12, 1942 June 26, 1945.

June 26, 1945. J. H. LEVISON 2,379,365

STRETCHER Filed Nov. 12, 1942 2 Sheetzs-Shee'fI 2 Inventor @aman/5M.

Patented June 26, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT ori-ICE STRETCHER Jacob H. Levison, Point Pleasant Beach, N. J. Application November 12, 1942, Serial No. 465,347

1 Claim.

My invention relates toimprovements in stretchers for ambulance service, more particularly, the principal object in view being to provide a exible device of this character which is easy to handle, simple in construction, strong, while at the same time light in weight, foldable into compact form and made in duplicate half sections which may be readily and easily taken apart either for storage, or replacement when worn, or for other purposes.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeeding description, and defined in the claims appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in plan illustrating myimproved structure in its preferred embodiment,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a View in transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and drawn to an enlarged scale, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in plan of one of the reinforcing loop forming strips.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, my improved stretcher comprises a body supporting sheet, preferably of canvas, of elongated, rectangular form and including half sections I, 2 detachably secured together at confronting inner side edges thereof by intertting rectangular loops 3 extending laterally from said edges, and a flat bar 4 of any suitable flexible material passing through said loops. 'I'he loops 3 are formed on a pair of reinforcing strips 4' of canvas of double thickness stitched, as at 5, to the bottom face of the sections I, 2 to extend along the confronting edges of the sections respectively.

Each section I, 2 is provided on the bottom face thereof with transversely extending end carrying straps 6, and similar intermediate carrying straps 1, preferably two, each of which is spaced equidistantly from the other and from the adjacent end straps 6. The carrying straps 6, 1 extend from the reinforcing strips 4 and have the outer ends thereof folded back upon themselves and beneath the sections I, 2 to form loops 8 extending outwardly from the outer side edges of the sections I, 2. Suitable rows of stitches 9 secure the carrying straps 6, 1 to the sections I, 2.

A pair of hand rails I0, preferably round, extend through the loops 8 upon opposite sides of the sections I, 2 and providehand grip means upon each side of the stretcher for carrying the same. The hand rails I0 are provided with laterally extending eye screws, or bolts, I I which extend out of the outer ends of the loops 8 by way of slots I2 in said outer ends. Narrow keeper straps I3 are stitched at inner ends thereof, as at I4, to the outer s ide edges of thev sections I, 2 over the longitudinal center of the carrying straps 6, 'I and are of sufficient length to be inserted at their outer ends through the eye screws l I and to hang down well below said screws.

The eye screws II and slots I2 serve to prevent the hand rails IIl from sliding in the loops 8 endwise, and the keeper straps I3 function to prevent the eye screws from being withdrawn out of the slots I2 back into the loops 8.

As will be clear, by pulling the keeper straps I3 out of the eye screws I I, the hand rails Ill may be moved back into the loops 8 until the eye screws II are withdrawn from the slots I2, after which the hand rails I0 may be slid out of said loops 8. The sections I, 2 may be disconnected by withdrawing the bar 4 from the loops 3. Thus, the stretcher may be easily and quickly taken apart for packing and shipping, or storage, if desired, or for replacement of parts. Also, as will be obvious, the stretcher may be rolled into a compact bundle with the parts assembled for carrying in an ambulance or for other purposes. Further, the

two half sections of the stretcher may be disconnected by withdrawing the bar 4 and said sections superposed flat for storage or carrying.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clearunderstanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly, the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept, and right is herein reserved to such modifications as wall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

A stretcher comprising a gular body carrying portion including a pair of half sections of flexible material, means detachably connecting said sections together in the longitudinal center of said body carrying portion with inner side edges in contiguous spaced apart relation comprising a pair of reinforcing strips of flexible material each 4extending along the length of respective inner edges and connected thereto, said strips being folded along the longitudinal centers thereof whereby the strips are of double thickness, said strips being notched along the folds thereof to provide interftting loops, a flexible flat bar extending through said loops, and means for supporting said body carrying portion comprising spaced apart straps extending across the bottoms of said sections, and a pair of hand grip rails attached to the ends of said straps.

JACOB H. LEVISON.

substantially rectan 

